Validation of Crop Intellect’s first-of-its-kind methodology for atmospheric N₂O removal in agriculture

Pioneering atmospheric N₂O removals for scalable, science-based climate impact

Validation of agricultural innovations for greenhouse gas (GHG) removals is crucial to ensure the credibility of new approaches and enable projects to scale. Crop Intellect, a UK-based agri- and climate-tech company developing innovative solutions to make farming more sustainable and resilient, believes validation is an important milestone to build the trust required to unlock large-scale partnerships and market adoption.

Their flagship innovation, R-Leaf®, is a patented photocatalytic foliar spray. It remains on leaf surfaces and destroys atmospheric N₂O, while simultaneously catalyzing NOx into plant-available nitrate — a practical and scalable intervention that pairs direct removals with reduced synthetic nitrogen strategies and supports yield stability.

In 2025, SustainCERT validated the methodology used for this agricultural innovation, “Removal of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N₂O) using Photocatalytic Technology”. The methodology is designed for projects applying the R-Leaf fertilizer across large-scale cereal, potato and pea fields in the United Kingdom. The validation was completed by SustainCERT under ISO 14064-2:2019, ensuring global recognition of this novel GHG removal pathway.

This validation marks the world-first recognition of atmospheric N₂O removal as a validated climate solution, creating a credible, auditable route for value-chain decarbonization and procurement-grade Scope 3 claims.

GHG removals as an agricultural climate solution

Crop Intellect’s methodology pioneers N₂O removals in agricultural fields as a climate solution. R-Leaf contains photocatalysts specially processed to enable NOx and N₂O catalysis under normal day light. It removes existing atmospheric N₂O directly on the crop wherever it is grown. R-Leaf is tank mixable with other agrochemicals, adapting seamlessly to standard farming practices without additional spraying. It operates independently at farm level—requiring no changes to agronomy—and does not interfere with other regenerative or input-based interventions a grower may pursue.

Crop Intellect sought validation for its GHG removal methodology to address key challenges:

• Novelty of the category: N₂O removal is not yet widely recognized in carbon markets, and credibility was essential for market acceptance.
• Trust and transparency: Partners and buyers require assurance that project claims are scientifically robust, independently validated, and aligned with international standards.
• Market readiness: Without validation, the technology risks being undervalued or excluded from procurement pipelines and sustainability frameworks.

Results from initial deployments show momentum and scale:

• ~600 tCO₂e removed in the first commercial season.
• Pipeline forecast of 3,000+ tCO₂e for 2025.
• Scalability to millions of tonnes of tCO₂e within five years, enabled by rapid adoption in cereal and other global cropping systems.

The validation process for the GHG removal methodology

SustainCERT conducted a comprehensive validation to confirm the integrity of the project methodology. Validation provides Crop Intellect and its partners with an independently reviewed pathway for atmospheric N₂O removal, giving confidence to food companies, carbon buyers, and farmers that the GHG removals generated meet the highest international standards.

The validation process ensures alignment with the following quality principles:

• ISO conformity: Assessed methodology suitability against ISO 14064-2:2019 standards.
• Quality assurance: Reviewed documentation under SustainCERT’s internal guidelines and quality framework.
• Scientific credibility: Verified reproducibility of results, supported by peer-reviewed literature, field measurements, and data analysis.
• Integrity and scalability: Evaluated transparency, environmental safeguards, and potential for large-scale replication in agriculture.

This multi-pronged approach ensures a rigorous and balanced evaluation, ensuring claims are both scientifically robust and operationally feasible.

“This validation is a significant achievement for Crop Intellect’s team and a step forward for agriculture. For the first time, multinationals can validate a GHG removal within their own supply chains—wherever crops are grown—while supporting growers with a practical intervention that combines nitrogen reduction and direct N₂O removal.”

— Dr Apostolos Papadopoulos, CEO, Crop Intellect Ltd

What does validation unlock for Crop Intellect?

Credibility is the cornerstone of collaboration across agricultural value chains. The validation by SustainCERT unlocks immediate value for food and beverage companies, retailers, processors, and carbon buyers who can integrate verifiable N₂O removals into their insetting programs, strengthen supplier partnerships, and build long-term contracts with growers.

Validation unlocks:

• Entry into high-integrity carbon markets and insetting programs.
• Stronger partnerships with multinational food and beverage companies seeking verifiable Scope 3 reductions.
• A clear pathway for international scaling under a globally recognized standard.